An Independence Day Poem

Is the freedom in the room with us?

Happy 4th of July—
Let’s celebrate America’s independence
from mad King George’s subjugation
by subjugating the Native American Indians.

United, free, and independent,
it’s our motto; it only applies to us.

The full circle is poetic,
from Mad King George
to senile puppet Biden,
but hey, there are fireworks tonight!

We are battling depression daily,
seeing genocides on our screens,
funded by our hard-won
united, free, and independent state;
thanks, Founding Fathers.

But is it really a depression, 
or trauma from capitalism;
our basic needs being constantly unmet
while funding foreign wars?

America is an extremist oligarchy 
whose citizens have zero influence 
on public policy—
Matt Cooke told me.

Why don’t you have the intellectual curiosity 
to find out what’s happening to this world, 
beyond what’s served to you?

They are coming for you, they say.

Who’s coming?
Those who warn you
are the ones coming,
and they are already here.

Are you proud
of your lack of social intelligence?

Why are we allowing politicians 
to profit from division while spreading panic?
How can you make it so easy for them 
to sell you the paranoia?

They are coming for you.

Gays are coming for you to ruin your family, 
trans are coming for you to assult you, 
non-binaries are coming for you to confuse your kids, 
Arabs are coming for you to kill you, 
Muslims are coming to convert you, 
immigrants are coming for your jobs.

How witless must you be 
to swallow this century-old 
grooming into paranoia?

The only one coming for you, 
your freedoms and quality of life— 
is your government.

America doesn’t want stability in the world, 
if that stability means improving a competitor’s position.

Fading past of imperial hubris 
still seeks growth, influence, and expansion.

Your government convinced you 
Zionist feelings are more important 
than anyone’s actual lives.

You are celebrating the Independence Day today, 
yet not supportive of the Palestinian plight for independence.

Why are you deliberately not informed?

The US House voted
to hide Gaza death toll statistics, 
yet you are still on the fence.

Your destiny and future are being decided 
by the 80-year-old people without a future.

We have been emotionally manipulated, 
time and again, to believe 
we are under immediate danger 
from the crazed other.

They would kill you and your family too, 
a bizarre argument that is supposed 
to make you atrocity-friendly—
Alon Mizrahi told me.

There are fireworks tonight.

The state of Israel was not created for salvation of Jews;
it was created for the salvation of western interests. 
Palestinians are just paying a perpetual price for it— 
James Baldwin told me.

The empire’s interests are not your interests.

Is the freedom in the room with us?